


Because You Want To

by Pretzelsketch



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:34:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22279510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pretzelsketch/pseuds/Pretzelsketch
Summary: Naminé is still recovering from Castle Oblivion and from DiZ's harsh treatment, she's still learning to think of herself as her own person.
Kudos: 9





	Because You Want To

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I still haven't played Kingdom Hearts III, so please don't spoil anything for me, thanks!

The sound of gentle waves filled the air, and the golden colors of the sun-set glistened like stardust off of the slowing tide. Naminé walked along the shore, barefoot in the sand, gazing at the dancing array of colors as they melted into the ocean.

But artists as she was, Naminé wasn’t thinking about colors. Ever since she came back, now that they were all together, everything was so… different. She had always wanted a friend, some one to talk to, to hold hands with, and… what ever else friends do, she just didn’t want to be alone and yet—

Naminé let out a sigh. What was this feeling? Wasn’t she supposed to be happy? That’s right, keep smiling.

Naminé turned to walk to the shack. Riku’s island, that’s a good place for thinking. She opened the rickety door and closed it gently behind her. She climbed the steps up through the dark and out onto the bridge.

What was bothering her? Was “bothering” the right word? It wasn’t as if they had done anything wrong, no, they were so kind it was just that she—

Naminé stopped. There on the island, was Riku, leaning against the drooping pau-pu tree. She hadn’t realized he would be here, but he didn’t seem to have noticed her yet. He was looking of into the sunset, just as she had been doing a bit ago, deep in thought.

“Oh, I shouldn’t disturb him,” she thought, “I’ll just slip away before he notices.” Naminé turned to leave, but her motion caught Riku’s eye.

“Oh! Naminé, I didn’t see you there.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“No you’re good,” he said with a wave of the hand, “have a seat.”

Naminé obediently climbed up and sat herself down on the bent trunk of the tree.

There was a moment of quiet, the waves the only sound, while the sun sank closer to the water.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it” Riku said.

“Yeah,”

“You think you could draw it?”

Naminé laughed, “I don’t know, I don’t think I could give it enough depth.”

“Maybe not,” he said, “but it can’t stop you from trying.”

“I guess so,” Naminé said.

Riku was quiet for a second, and then asked, “So what brings you up here?”

Naminé started, “What? Oh nothing really, I was just…”

“Come on,” Riku said, “I can tell there’s something bothering you,”

“Bothering! No it’s not like that it’s just—” she stopped, not sure herself what the matter was.

“Just what?” He probed

Naminé took a deep breath, and let it out in a sigh.

“Well,” she began, “It’s Roxas and Xion, they… well. The other day the came to my room and asked me if I wanted to skateboard with them,”

“Yeah?” Riku said, still looking off to the west.

“Well, I wanted to, but i didn’t want to,” she said, stumbling with her words,

“I didn’t really want to skateboard; really, thought of it scares me, but I wanted to hangout with them,”

“And you didn’t know how to say ‘no’.” Riku said.

“No, well… yes. But I did want to go with them, it’s just, it didn’t feel right. When it was all over, it didn’t feel like we were hanging out. I just don’t understand” she shook her head.

“I think I do.” said Riku.

He pushed himself away from the tree and strolled to the edge of the island.

“Naminé, ever since you were born—in Castle Oblivion, in the Mansion—you were told that you were nobody, that you didn’t matter, and that you couldn’t feel emotions.”

Riku stood arms crossed, looking thoughtfully at the glittering waves.

“To Marluxia, you were a slave, to DiZ, you were a tool, and I think, even though you know it’s not true, you’re still having trouble recovering from all that.”

Naminé watched him from behind as the breeze played in his silver hair.

“Naminé, I didn’t treat you very well back then either. I believed those lies, even though I knew in my heart they were false.”

Riku turned and looked at her, his brow furrowed, “I should have treated you better back then,”

“No, Riku,” Naminé said, “It’s not your fault.”

“I know, but I could have helped, and I didn’t. And now I can make up for that.”

Naminé was quiet.

“Naminé, I think you feel like you have to skateboard with Roxas and Xion because you’ve always done what you’re told,”

“But…” Naminé began.

“But you don’t have to.”

“I know,” Naminé said, “But I want to!”

“And that’s just it.” said Riku, gesturing with his hands.

Naminé stopped.

“Maybe it doesn’t feel right because you’re just doing it out of a sense of duty—because you’re friends—why don’t you try doing it because you want to?”

Naminé started, and looked down at the sand, “Because I want to?” She thought for a moment.

“I think,” she said slowly, “I think you’re right.”

“I guess I did feel like I had to, even though I knew I didn’t. I guess I kind of knew all along.”

She laughed sheepishly and brushed her hair out of her face,

“I feel a little stupid now,”

“You’re just trying to get used to things, that’s all.” said Riku

“You’re right,” she said, and slid down from the tree. “Thank you, Riku” she said holding out her hand.

“Don’t sweat it,” he said, grasping her hand, “What are friends for?”

**Author's Note:**

> I was gonna write a second half to this (with Roxas and Xion), and I was kinda toying around with writing a third, but I got distracted by other things. So if you really liked it and would like to see more, go ahead and tell me in the comments and that might help me buckle down and actually JUST. DO IT!  
> Thanks for reading! ^^


End file.
